For any average person, a cruise vacation is something of the category of inexpressible luxury, bliss in the middle of the endless blue and blue sea, a complete detachment from the hustle and bustle of the everyday world and thousands of petty earthly worries. A cruise is what travelers decide to believe that they have already traveled all over the world and longing for new experiences. The funny thing is that it is the Americans, who make up the majority of cruise travelers in the world, who once came up with the saying that vacationing on a cruise is ideal for “newlywed and daily dead” (which literally means “newlyweds and senior citizens with seniority”). Who is chic on the best international cruise ships today? You won’t know until you check. In the air
All people on Earth are convinced that a cruise ship can only be accessed at the port. In principle, everything is correct. But we are those who are not looking for easy ways! Therefore, in order to be among the happy passengers of the Brilliance of The Seas cruise ship traveling on the route Dubai - India - Dubai, I went not to the Dubai port of Rashid, but directly to the international airport so as not to be late for the Emirates Airlines flight to Mumbai. Why? It's simple, I caught up with a cruise that left Dubai a week ago to “grab” the remaining four days of a luxurious vacation, joining it in the last port of call - Indian Mumbai.
Airplanes flying to India is a separate song. Even if you have chosen one of the leading airlines in the world, air travel to the “financial capital” of India, Mumbai (once called Bombay) becomes both a new experience and a test of strength at the same time. Be prepared for the aircraft to be jam-packed, despite the fact that the Dubai-based carrier alone carries out about three, if not more, flights per day, not counting a bunch of budget employees and national airlines. All your neighbors will be in a joyful and high spirits all three hours of the flight, constantly jumping from seats, changing from one row of chairs to another, taking their things from the upper shelves that are being closed, dropping other people's belongings on your head. Children will cry, parents will be touched, cabin crew will try to put things in order.
You will even be given a menu, as it should be on decent airline flights, but so far the turn of "distribution ..." has come to you, there are no "elephants", but daily food, all more or less "European" food will be sorted out, and the choice of hot will be limited to either vegetarian curry or chicken in the same curry. Tasty, of course!
But so hot-oh-oh ... Give me some water or better than some juice, you can even with ice, and ideally with whiskey!
Fortunately, when there are adventures and on-board TV with well-known, as well as unfamiliar, but Indian films, travel time flies unnoticed. And now they are announcing a landing, which means that the sea is almost nearby ...
On the land 
... There it was. After a five-minute explanation "in dance" with the border guard: "What kind of cruise? Why a cruise? For what purpose did you arrive in India?", I’m going to get luggage. He has been gone for so long that local mosquitoes living in the terminal have time to bite me. Having strayed from the pack, I am heading to the front desk of the "Pre-paid Taxi". It is safer and more convenient than a regular taxi, but not at all more profitable. A caring young lady asks me if I need a car with air conditioning, or better (?) Without, since the second option is as much as 200 rupees cheaper?
I agree to the fact that with air conditioning, do not swallow road dust, given that there is almost 35-degree heat on the street. The driver (for my happiness) does not speak English at all. So far, fifteen voluntary assistants, including a caring young lady, have been explaining to him where the port is located named after the first woman, the Prime Minister of the great country, Indira Gandhi, I miss.
A group of beggars immediately formed near the windows, asking for money for food. I don’t react, knowing that in India poverty is, alas, a well-established criminal business.
It is not for nothing that knowledgeable people say that the location of an object in Mumbai is measured not by distance, but by time. Even five kilometers in this city, you can go for an hour or two. It all depends on how many trucks, motorcycle rickshaws, taxis, private cars, movers with carts, as well as giant white humpback cows and even elephants harnessed to drinking water tanks accumulate on this road. The “Brownian movement” along the streets of Mumbai cannot be regulated by any traffic lights or traffic police.
The only salvation is the signals of the drivers themselves to each other, which merge into one continuous hum or groan. God forbid you go to Mumbai on the road if the horn does not work in your car. And you won’t pass three meters, especially if "attentive" pedestrians begin to cross the street from all directions ...
The journey through the almost perfect city center took more than an hour and a half. Then I was not allowed to enter the port territory for a long time, demanding an “immigration card”, which is issued to all cruise passengers when they land, instead of a passport. This card allows you to move around the city, into the port of which the cruise ship came in, during the entire parking period.
But so far I could not get to this liner, which was already standing at the Mumbai pier. He continued to remain for me a distant and almost unrealizable snow-white dream ...
With grief in half having resolved all the formalities, I finally found myself near the cruise terminal, inside which reigned almost the same chaos as at Mumbai International Airport, which, however, did not prevent local shopkeepers from briskly trading gold and silver jewelry with precious stones, souvenirs and traditional clothes. A small group of shoppers straying near the shelves puzzled me a little. Everything, as a selection, were the same strong old men and old women in white trousers, multi-colored t-shirts and straw hats. Some had sun umbrellas and canes in their hands. It was obvious from all that, after "shopping", all these people are going for a pre-acquired tour of the city. What were they going to watch there? Of course, there are a lot of wonderful architectural monuments in Mumbai, including the world-famous Queen Victoria Station, built by the British and listed in all the architectural catalogs of the planet, magnificent palaces and the Gateway to India, but how to get to them, considering everything what was said above? The riddle. I'd rather go to the ship.
On the sea
"Brilliance of The Seas" ("Magnificence of the seas", translated from English) impressed me with its grace and grandeur. No, no, I didn’t make a reservation! The English, speaking of cruise ships, use the word “she,” that is, “she.” I don’t know what this is connected with, most likely, this word was applied to the usual “boat” of a female gender. One way or another, it has taken root and is considered the norm of the English language. Even the infamous "Titanic" was also a "young lady." That is “she." Something like that.
Driving away stupid thoughts about storms, tsunamis (and, suddenly?), Somali pirates (after all, the Indian Ocean and in general), sharks and other "horrors" imposed by news channels and modern cinema, I go first to my cabin with a huge porthole to the whole wall. Here it is, the sea! Oh, not yet. It will be a little later when we set sail. And then I start wandering around the decks, exploring the sights of the Brilliance. There are more than enough of them here: restaurants, bars, a private theater, a mini-golf course, several swimming pools, including an indoor under the Solarium dome, several Jacuzzis, a water slide, volleyball and football courts, and even a climbing wall. For gambling people - a casino and the opportunity to play a game or two at Bingo. For those who are sick of fuss, there is a library with a mass of books in different languages, including (oh, miracle!) And in Russian.
The situation on the liner is amazing! Something like a pioneer camp with its rises, lights, breakfast, lunch, dinner by the hour. Every day in the cabin there is a newsletter with a program for the day, which states what will happen on a particular deck from morning to night - from competitions for folding funny figures from bath towels and competitions for jumping into the pool belly down (of course, among men with impressive "beer" tummies) before the championships in chess, rock climbing, minigolf and, of course, the evening "outings" with dancing to live music and amazing cocktails.
During the cruise aboard the liner, passengers, in principle, feel like in the center of a modern city - with its shops and bars, entertainment complexes and crowded streets. Add to this the opportunity to eat and drink around the clock, and in the morning to do aerobics right by the pool under the guidance of a brisk instructor girl, then you certainly will not be bored!
Like all other Royal Caribbean ships, the Brilliance has its own spa. Crossing the threshold of the modern Day Spa salon and fitness center, you are immersed in a world of pleasure and bliss. Enjoying rejuvenating massages and exotic treatments, oxygen facial masks and soothing wraps with seaweed, you can completely relax, distract from the bustle of the mortal world and immerse yourself in an atmosphere of complete harmony with yourself. Unless, of course, you find for this time between food and sleep.
By the way, children of all ages feel great on board the liners: special programs have been developed for them in five age categories (from 3 to 17 years). I admit honestly, the teenagers did not come across my eyes, but several families with children aged 3 to 8 years had a pleasant time. The rest of the passenger contingent was peppy people of retirement age - from “60 and older” from those who caught my eye in the cruise terminal in the port of Mumbai. Well, age, as it turned out, is not a hindrance! All, without exception, the passengers of the airliner took part with pleasure in all aerobics and competitions, charity walking "marathons" on the 12th deck in defense of the children, made appointments for each other before dinner and went to dances and to the casino. And I thought that our physical age, in essence, means absolutely nothing. At heart, all these people, crowned with noble gray hairs, remained the same boys and girls that they were 20, 30 and 50 years ago.
What a happy old age! Honestly. But now, it is time to go on the high seas. Goodbye, Mumbai, drowned in a strange gray-brown haze. Whether it was fog, or it could? One way or another, in the waters of this metropolis, the sea is colored in an eerie color of coffee, slightly diluted with milk. That is, no, I have nothing against coffee, but here the sea of this color does not happen. It’s like the famous Bulgakov’s “sturgeon of the second freshness”. Feel that you were deceived! The sea should be blue and only blue! Only three (!) Hours after we set sail from the hospitable Mumbai shores, the sea, or rather, the Indian Ocean finally turned into the same piercing blue color! Wait!
It remains to add that in a short time to learn about everything that happens, happens and happens on cruises, of course, is difficult, almost impossible. But I tried to focus on the main parameters. Of the obvious advantages are round-the-clock free service in comfortable and well-decorated cabins (no matter what class) and the friendly service of the numerous ship personnel.
I even managed to get to know the bartender from Ukraine, who told me that more than 25 Russian-speaking employees work at Brilliance. Great, right? By the way, all alcoholic beverages, bottled water, goods from shops and souvenirs can be purchased on board for cash dollars or on a credit card. The price tags are American (that is, acceptable) and tax-free, which is nice.
The main event of any cruise is the penultimate "dinner with the captain", when evening dresses and tuxedos with butterflies are recommended to all passengers. The main restaurant literally sparkles with ladies' jewelry and evening toilets and is fragrant with the most luxurious perfumes. In parting, all the waiters of the ship serving the guests arrange a festive procession in the restaurant and sing a farewell song for the passengers. So romantic! And tomorrow you will be arriving at the port of Dubai, about which they will be notified all day on ship radio and the main television channels in the cabins. Sailed! (although real sailors say "come").
In the port
Dubai meets early in the morning, with a clean pier and sleepy cruise terminal staff. Baggage, brought to shore in advance by the caring staff of the liner, is waiting in the corner. Passport with the seal of the immigration service - in the hands. Thanks, “Brillince”! And goodbye! I must go home. I jump in a taxi with such a familiar air conditioning, for which you do not need to overpay, and drive towards the “new Dubai”. On the quiet and still sleepy streets of the city where I have been living for a long time, and where I still like everything: cleanliness, beauty, safety, and the absence of cows on the roadway. That's it, my cruise is over, all worries are left overboard, and tomorrow will be a new day. But when will my new cruise be? I don’t know about you, but I’ll try to reach the “noble gray hair” to date the honorable old men in tailcoats on the new-fashioned Royal Caribbean cruise ship at 85 years old!
SEVEN FEET UNDER THE KEEL
In 1968, three Norwegian shipping companies - Anders Wilhelmsen, I.M. Skauge and Gotaas Larsen - founded the cruise company Royal Caribbean International. Her first cruise was completed in 1970 on the liner Song of Norway. The first cruises were carried out exclusively in the Caribbean and started from Miami.
In 1986, Royal Caribbean acquired Labadi Beach (the northern coast of Haiti).
Now a modern water park is equipped there, and the port is included in many of the company's cruise routes in the Western and Eastern Caribbean. And in 1990, the company opened a unique port, accessible only to its passengers - the island of Coco Cay (Bahamas).
In November 1999, the first ever Voyager of The Seas megayliner (Voyager class) was launched. In 2002, the Brilliance of The Seas airliner was built and launched, with the following main characteristics.
Home country: Bahamas
Displacement: 90,090 tons
Length: 293 meters
Width: 32 meters
Number of passengers: 2500
Number of crew members: 869
Number of cabins: 1056
Decks Number: 12
Lifts: 9
Today, the Brilliance of the Seas liner makes cruises on the Persian Gulf with calls at the ports of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Muscat (Oman) and Bahrain, as well as along the Indian Ocean with the exit from Dubai and stops at the ports of Cochin, Goa, Mumbai .
The popularity of cruise tourism in the Gulf region is growing every year, so more and more operators begin their activities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
A couple of harmless tips
When going on a cruise, keep in mind that it is forbidden to bring your own alcoholic beverages on board. You can buy alcohol in bars and restaurants, as well as in the Duty Free store, only the last will be given to you on the day you leave the ship. Duty Free shops on board do not work when the liner is in port, so shampoos, sunblocks and other necessary means skin care and things better stock up in advance.
Cruise ships have an American tip system. On the last day before the end of the cruise, envelopes for tips will appear in your cabin with recommendations on how much and who needs to be left (for example, a maid who cleaned your cabin needs to leave a tip in the amount of $ 3.5 per day; for a waiter - $ 2.5 per day , and so on).
Try not to spend all the money on the trip, because the list of applicants for a tip is quite large, but I do not want to offend anyone.
Cash will not be accepted during cruise. Everything that you drank in restaurants and bars or bought in stores is credited to your cabin. On the penultimate day, you will be issued the final invoice, which you must pay at the reception either with a credit card or in cash.
Hats and sunglasses are the most important things on your trip! Do not forget about them, collecting a suitcase! Happy sailing!
The author thanks Royal Caribbean for arranging the trip.
